The chief of the Wagner group has called on Volodymr Zelensky to abandon Bakhmut as he claimed his fighters had "practically encircled" the Ukrainian city.

Yevgeny Prigozhin said: "The Wagner paramilitary group units have practically surrounded Bakhmut, only one road remains" to leave the city."

"If earlier we were fighting against the professional army, we now increasingly see old people and children," Prigozhin said in the video filmed from a building's rooftop.

"They are fighting, but their life expectancy in Bakhmut is now very short, one day or two... give them a chance to leave the city," he said.

The video then showed an old man and two younger men who asked Zelensky to let them leave.

It comes after the General Staff of the Ukraine Military said that Ukrainian forces repelled more than 85 attacks in the five principal sectors of the Bakhmut front line.

Subscribe to The Telegraph with our special offer: just £1 for 3 months. Start your free trial now:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/customer/subscribe/digitalsub/3for1/?WT.mc_id=tmgoff_pvid_conversion-subscription_editorial-iniative_03-22_EGW-13_organic_youtube

Get the latest headlines: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Telegraph.co.uk and YouTube.com/TelegraphTV are websites of The Telegraph, the UK's best-selling quality daily newspaper providing news and analysis on UK and world events, business, sport, lifestyle and culture.